Tree Trouble

My own family appeared in the Scarsdale Police Blotter this week and here is our story. Our neighbor has very large pine trees on her property, bordering our driveway and looming over our house. They are 5 -6 stories tall, and top heavy, as many of the lower branches have snapped off. In the big storm in March, one of these trees broke in half, hitting the back of our house and totaling our car. After the incident, rather than express any remorse, our neighbor complained about the necessity of cutting up the fallen tree limbs.

We needed new gutters, roofing, fascia boards, railings, masonry and patio furniture as well as a new car. The bill was hefty. We are still in the process of getting everything repaired. We called an arborist who confirmed that the remaining tree shard and additional trees are dangerous and need to come down.

Per the instructions from the Village we sent a registered letter to our neighbor with the report. She feels that the trees are “natural” and does not wish to take them down. Last Saturday night, the winds kicked up again and another branch fell through our dining room window, shattering the glass. We pulled the branch out of the dining room and placed it in the street in front of her home. Her insurance company will not pay for the damage and she has done nothing in response to our letter, except to call the police to complain about the branch in front of her home.

We’re hoping the wind and the rain never kick up again … but given the frequency of the “100 year storms” in Scarsdale that’s not likely. Any advice?

Sustainable Scarsdale Day May 15

What can you do to address the current energy crisis, reduce our carbon footprint, save money, conserve natural resources, and be good stewards of our planet? Find out at Sustainable Scarsdale Day, this Saturday May 15 at SHS. Students from all Scarsdale schools will exhibit green projects related to their sustainability studies. Scarsdale organizations will be present to share valuable information for residents. Green businesses will also be present to talk about their products and how they benefit the environment.

Two workshops have been organized, one to help residents understand different energy options available to them and the other to discuss environmentally sound water management practices for suburban homeowners.

The Scarsdale Board of Education and the Scarsdale Village Trustees invite you to attend this informative event which will be held from 9 am to 1 pm on Saturday May 15 at Scarsdale High School. At 1:00 pm, five new trees will be planted, one for each elementary school as part of the district’s 225th anniversary celebration.

Defensive Driving Course

Enrolling in the Scarsdale Adult School’s Defensive Driving course will save money over the next three years on your auto insurance bills. It could save your license, but it will definitely teach techniques that may save your life!

The law in New York State requires that principal drivers who complete this course receive a 10% discount on automobile insurance for the liability, collision and no fault premiums for 3 full years. In addition, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles will deduct four points from the driving records of all who successfully complete the course. The Defensive Driving Course can be taken once every 18 months for point reduction.

Driver Improvement Programs will be instructing the sessions and is a member of the National Safety Council. Upon completion of this two-session course, participants will receive a certificate to present to their insurance company for the three-year discount.

The course is offered Two Thursdays, starting 5/13 from 7-10 pm at Scarsdale High School. The cost is $60. To register, or for information on all course offerings, visit www.ScarsdaleAdultSchool.org. Questions? Call 723-2325.

Michaels In Transition

Michael’s Gourmet Food Shop, a favorite sandwich and cheese shop on Spencer Place in Scarsdale Village, is in transition. The shop will be closed for the next few weeks as it undergoes a transformation to Good-life Gourmet. The new site will be a café serving sandwiches and coffees and will also offer take-out and catering. Jason Cairo of Michael’s is joining forces with Executive Chef Eric Korn who runs Good-life Gourmet catering in Peekskill. Korn will be cooking daily specials at an off-site kitchen and these meals will be offered in the café and available for take-home dinners.

The current location will be renovated to add more tables for dining in the café. While it is closed, Michael’s is still available for catering orders, so feel free to call.

Bicycle Sundays, Farmers Market and a Village Survey

Bicycle Sundays are back! Joggers and walkers and those with scooters and strollers are welcome to enjoy the Bronx River Parkway from White Plains to Yonkers. The 2010 dates for Bicycle Sundays are on May 2, 9, 16 and 23; June 6, 13, 20 and 27; and September 12, 19 and 26. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A portion of the Bronx River Parkway is closed to cars for the exclusive use of bicyclists, joggers, walkers, and those with scooters and strollers. The course runs from the Westchester County Center in White Plains, south to Scarsdale Road in Yonkers, a round-trip of 13.1 miles. There are many points of entry and exit along the way. Parking is available at the County Center lot in White Plains for a fee of $4.

The Scarsdale Farmer’s Market is now outside, every Saturday morning from 9:00 – 1 :30 in the parking lot at Village Hall. There’s farm fresh produce including lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms and everything green on your list. The market also includes baked goods, breads, and rotating vendors offering organic meat, herbs, plants, oils and even NYS wines. Support the Scarsdale Farmer’s Market rain or shine every Saturday morning. Read more from Market Lady Carol DeLisa at: http://localmarketlady.blogspot.com/

The Village of Scarsdale is seeking information from residents and businesses with respect to their understanding of stormwater related issues in the community. In order to better understand what the Village must do to inform residents and businesses, they would like all residents to complete a short questionnaire to support Scarsdale’s continuing Stormwater Management efforts.To complete the questionnaire got to the Hot Topics secions of the village website or click here.